Imperative: Volume 1, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (10 page)

“What other men?  Who is approaching you?” 

“I am sure it is my imagination.”  Elizabeth shrugged.  “I am anxious to see him and talk to him, we have barely had time to talk openly about anything and I have so many questions, and I suppose that I . . . I am comparing his behaviour to others.” 

“What questions do you have, Lizzy?”

“Ohhh, hundreds, Papa, thousands!  I wish that I knew what was so terribly wrong.  Why he needs me so much.  Why this must happen so quickly.  It is almost as if he were afraid I would find out some terrible secret if I had enough time to question him thoroughly.”  Smiling a little she looked up to see her father watching her sharply.  “It does feel good to have such a man need me, and our cousin has certainly confirmed his value.  That should give us all confidence in his honesty.”

Mr. Bennet sat back and closed his eyes.  “His honesty.  An appropriate choice of words.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Yesterday, Mr. Wickham came to visit.”  He opened his eyes to see her confusion.  “He was under the impression that you were attached to Mr. Darcy, although nobody said it explicitly.”

“I . . . What business is it of his?”  Elizabeth bristled.

“Mr. Wickham knows Mr. Darcy.  It seems he grew up with him, the son of Mr. Darcy’s steward.  Mr. Darcy’s father educated him, and provided for him in his will.”

“Oh.”  She tensed with anticipation, her father was unusually serious.

“Mr. Darcy denied him the living his father left for Mr. Wickham, in a parish associated with his estate.”

“Denied him?”  Her brow creased.  “With no compensation?” 

“Clearly, as he was reduced to taking this position in the militia.   In fact his animosity towards Mr. Darcy is so high that he cannot stand to remain in Meryton, and has left, hoping to find a place in a militia unit stationed elsewhere.”  Mr. Bennet drew a deep breath and spoke commandingly.  “I believe, Lizzy, that I cannot in good conscience permit this wedding to take place.” 

“Papa!”

“You as much as admitted to me just now that you are hesitant.”

“I have questions, I wonder at the urgency, but not once have I doubted Mr. Darcy’s sincerity!”  Elizabeth stood and started to pace around the room.  “We have been in his company for over a month, you have only just been introduced to Mr. Wickham!    You know that Mr. Darcy is good friends, longstanding friends with Mr. Bingley, a purer, kinder man I have rarely known.  Surely that connection is worth something more than the words of a stranger!  What was Mr. Wickham’s motivation for speaking to you?  I am nobody of significance to him and Mr. Wickham is one of the gentlemen whose advances made me uncomfortable and wish for Mr. Darcy’s return!  Even if I was incorrect about his intentions, why would you believe him over Mr. Darcy?”

Mr. Bennet avoided the question.  “As you say, Mr. Bingley is a kind man, in the hands of a manipulator; he would easily be swayed to his cause.”

“A manipulator would have difficulty maintaining his credulity over years, Papa!  Why do you distrust Mr. Darcy, so?  Is it just that you are grasping at straws to deny our marriage?  Papa, I know that it is sudden, but I am sure, absolutely sure that he needs me!”

“To what end, though?”  Mr. Bennet sat forward and urged.  “He has told nobody his secrets, not even me.”

“Why not you?  Was that not your position as my father?  Giving him your consent surely involved more than shaking his hand.  Mr. Darcy was not at ease when he left this room that day; surely you discussed something of import.”  Elizabeth stopped her pacing and stood with her hands on her hips, staring at him.  “What bargain did you strike with him?”

Mr. Bennet’s face coloured.  “I hardly bargained for your hand, Lizzy.”

In the hallway they could hear the family gathering their things to depart for the Philips’ house and Mrs. Bennet appeared.  “Mr. Bennet, Mr. Collins has just informed me that the reason he came to Longbourn was to choose a wife from amongst our girls!  His benefactress, Lady Catherine de Bourgh herself insisted that he marry one of them so that we would still have Longbourn when you die!  What a wonderful gesture on her part!  What a wonderful gentleman he is!  I had no idea of this, but he says that you did.  Why did you not tell me!”

Caught off guard, Mr. Bennet stuttered, “I . . . I was not sure if he would change his mind upon meeting the girls, my dear.”  He glanced at Elizabeth and seeing her wide eyes, looked back to Mrs. Bennet.  “Has he indicated a choice?”

“Well naturally he mentioned his fondness for Jane, as she is the eldest it is only proper, but before he could continue I told him that I expect an engagement with Mr. Bingley quite soon . . .”

“Mama!”  Elizabeth cried.

“Hush, he promised to give a ball in her honour when she is well, Lizzy!  What better indication is there than that?”  She preened.  “So then Mr. Collins said that he would be glad to marry you, Lizzy!”

“After only three days’ acquaintance!”  She gasped and started to laugh.  “Well that makes my month in Mr. Darcy’s company seem like a year in comparison!  I feel better and better about our engagement!”  Smiling at her father, she wondered at his sad expression.

“Yes!  You are engaged!  And I told Mr. Collins this!  And do you know what he said?”  She paused dramatically.  “His benefactress, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, is Mr. Darcy’s aunt!  Why he is vastly disappointed to lose you as his wife, Lizzy, but immediately he said that he must write to her and tell her that he has met her nephew’s betrothed, so that she might express her opinion!”  She shook her handkerchief vigorously.  “Perhaps she will come to the wedding!  Imagine that, a peer at the wedding!  I shall go distracted.  You marry a grandson of an Earl and . . .”

Mr. Bennet broke into her exultations.  “I presume that Mr. Collins is disappointed that he will not be marrying one of the girls, then.” 

“Why whatever do you mean?  He may have Mary or Kitty, oh, if he were to take Lydia, then she would be with me forever!”  She tittered and ran from the room.

“Lydia!”  Elizabeth cried.  “Oh, Papa, you would not agree to that, even Mary, while perhaps more suited to be a reverend’s wife, she is not ready to marry.”

“I know that, Lizzy, which is why I did not mention them as possibilities for him when he wrote with his plan.”  Mr. Bennet looked away as she studied him and raised her hand to her mouth. 

“You offered Jane . . . or me.”

“No, I did not offer anyone.  I wanted to meet him before . . .”

“Oh, Papa.”  Tears pricked her eyes.  “It was to be me.  Mama would never let Jane marry him with her plans for Mr. Bingley.  If it had not been for Mr. Darcy . . .” She whispered.  “He knew.  Somehow he knew.  Did you speak of this to the neighbourhood?  Did you tell everyone that I would marry Mr. Collins?”

“No Lizzy, I swear, I did nothing of the sort.”  Mr. Bennet stood and came over to her.

“That odious man . . . would be my husband.”  She whispered.  “No wonder you are eager to end my engagement, it is not because we hardly know Mr. Darcy, but because you wished for me to . . . always be at Longbourn.”  She moved away from him.  “Excuse me, Papa.” 

“Lizzy come back . . .” He reached for her hand.  “I wish to talk to you.” 

“No, I . . .” Wiping her eyes, she stepped into the hallway in time to find her sisters gathering their bonnets and coats in preparation for departure. 

“Enough of this talk; it is time to leave.  Lizzy, I do not care what your father says, there is nothing for it.  We must announce your engagement today!  It will surely be in the papers tomorrow!  Oh, how am I to host a wedding in a week?”

Elizabeth turned from her father and tried to relax enough to speak calmly to her mother.  “Mama, Mr. Darcy wrote that he hopes to return on Friday, and Saturday we will announce our news to the neighbourhood.”

“But the gossip!”  She lowered her voice.  “Lizzy, you know that they will be looking for reasons, especially when you are engaged so quickly to such a disagreeable man!”

Elizabeth frowned.  “He is not disagreeable . . . I thought that you liked him now.”

“Oh, I do, he is so tall and so rich, but Lizzy, you must admit that he is lacking somewhat in social skill.”  She sniffed and patted her arm.  “You must teach him to behave well in company as I raised you!”  Grabbing her hand, she took her bonnet from Mrs. Hill. “Now, come along, I have been anticipating this since you were born!”

“Mama, please . . .” Elizabeth tied the ribbons on her bonnet and looked back to the bookroom where her father stood at the doorway.

He raised his voice over the din.  “Mrs. Bennet, I need to speak to you before we leave.”

“Cousin Elizabeth looks quite flustered, I should go comfort her.”  Mr. Collins said seriously.  “She is clearly in need of a man by her side, a man who is actually here.”

Lydia snorted.  “Oh, you do not need to worry about Lizzy finding a man.  She is engaged.”

“So I have heard.”  Collins spoke angrily.  “Mr. Bennet, we need to have a conversation.”  Elizabeth looked to her father who did not meet her gaze, and she felt her heart sink as her fears were confirmed.

“I was to marry Mr. Collins.”  She whispered numbly to Jane.  “Fitzwilliam saved me from him.”

“Oh, Lizzy!”  Jane gasped.

“Lizzy and Mr. Collins!”  Lydia laughed at the red-faced man and leaned onto Kitty who was giggling just as hard.  “Oh what a joke!”

Chapter 4

“D
amn it.”  The tall man knocked his knees on a desk in the darkened office and steadied himself before freezing when he heard the floor creak.  Hearing nothing further, he continued with his purpose, yanking open another drawer to search through the files.  At last he found the records he wanted.  “Darcy, Darcy, ahhhh.  George.”  He hesitated for a moment, looking behind him as if someone were watching, and then pulled out the papers.

“The Last Will and Testament of George Andrew Darcy.”  He murmured before paging rapidly through.  Tossing it aside, he pulled another out.  “Entailment of Pemberley Estate, Survey of Lands, no . . .
where is it
!”  He tore open a ribbon-tied document and rubbing his nose, nodded as he read.  “Thirty thousand pounds all for the taking.”  Looking over the papers he swore angrily and began searching on, muttering to himself about good fortune and freedom.  “Fitzwilliam Darcy.”  He let a slow breath escape.  “Will . . . ah, a new date on this . . .  This is it . . .” He read it over and bared his teeth, then looked to the next paper.  “Settlement Draft, Fitzwilliam George Darcy and Elizabeth Rose Bennet.”  Reading every detail he snarled and felt blinding fury rising in his breast. 

“Hullo?”  He heard a cautious voice call.  “Is someone there?”  The woman screamed as a man appeared from the shadows and reached for her throat.  The broom in her hand hit the floor with a loud
thwack
, startling him enough to let go and knock her to the floor as he disappeared out the door.  Shakily, she stood and picking up her fallen lamp, she held it high and looked over the mass of papers strewn over Easterly’s office.  “Dear heaven!”  She clutched her throat and feeling where the man’s hand had grabbed her, croaked, “Bless me!”   

“MR. BENNET, I would like a word, sir.”  Mr. Collins spoke in an urgent whisper outside of the Philips’ home.  “Sir, I can understand a father’s wishes for the greatest prize for his daughter, and securing Mr. Darcy
would
be a triumph, but sir, I assure you that wishful thinking will not guarantee an engagement!  He is a very important man, sir.  You cannot force his hand in this way.  I have not met the gentleman, but if he is anything like his aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh, his wrath will rain down upon you like hellfire!  You cannot compel this man to marry your daughter by starting a wild rumour.”   Mr. Collins straightened and lifted his chin. 

“It is no rumour, Mr. Collins.  Mr. Darcy proposed to Elizabeth this past Saturday and after speaking to me, immediately departed for London to have a settlement prepared and to apply to the archbishop for a special license.  If you do not believe me, perhaps you might believe your own superior.”  Mr. Bennet said evenly.  “Whatever Lady Catherine’s beliefs or desires, obviously they did not impress her nephew as deeply as they affect you.”

“But . . . but she was promised to me!”

“I understand, however Lizzy was unaware of that fact, and accepted Mr. Darcy prior to your arrival.  I sincerely doubt that she can be swayed from her choice, as tempting as you are.”

“Why then did you not inform me of this upon my arrival?”  Mr. Collins demanded.  “You have misled me!”

“Well, Mr. Collins, like you I found it incredible that Mr. Darcy was sincere in his proposal, and in many ways I wished and continue to wish that he was not.  The last event I expected two days before your arrival was to receive an application for her hand by such a man, and as you have just described him as the greatest prize a father could desire, would you have denied him?”  He spoke tiredly.  “I hardly expected you to feel compelled to propose within days of arriving.  I assumed that I had time to determine Mr. Darcy’s commitment well before you were ready to behave seriously, which is why I asked my family to keep the news of this quiet until his return.  Clearly you are in a much greater hurry than I expected.  All of your talk of respecting a lady’s natural delicacy obviously does not apply when it comes to your personal desires.”

“Well . . . well . . . perhaps I am too hasty, however . . .” Mr. Collins sputtered and shook his finger at Mr. Bennet.  “You told me she was mine!”

“Obviously I was too hasty as well.  You are repeating yourself, sir.” 

“It is the bargain we struck, I expect you to hold to it sir, or give me a suitable replacement.”

“Replacement?”  Mr. Bennet laughed harshly and crossed his arms.  “Who do you suggest?”

“Miss Bennet appears to be entirely unengaged, sir.  I have lived in your household for three days and I have seen no suitors appear, clearly Mrs. Bennet’s supposition that my cousin is soon to be married is incorrect.”

“I recall Mr. Bingley did pay a call this morning and promised another tomorrow with his sisters.  Even Mr. Darcy waited a month before proposing.  What do you feel is a suitable period for Mr. Bingley to wait?  Obviously if that is his intention, he does not subscribe to your method of proposing first and courting later.”